Littlestown home destroyed in fire demolished

The family has started to clear the wreckage in hopes of rebuilding their home.

Abe Bucher, left, of New Oxford, and Maurice Miller, of the Irishtown Fire Company, assist in the process of demolishing a Littlestown house on Saturday that recently suffered major damage from a fire. (THE EVENING SUN TYLER SIZEMORE)

A construction vehicle carries a stripped wall from a Littlestown house that was demolished on Saturday because of recent major fire damage. (THE EVENING SUN TYLER SIZEMORE)

After a fire destroyed a newly remodeled house in the 600 block of Littlestown Road five days before Christmas, the family has started to clear the wreckage in hopes of rebuilding their home.

A crowd of relatives, friends and other community members gathered at the destroyed house at 620 Littlestown Road on Saturday morning to clear the wreckage of the Dec. 20 fire. The house is owned by Harold Musselman, but his daughter, son-in-law and their three children lived in the house.

Ashlyn Musselman, one of the three children, said the community support has been overwhelming for her family.

"They don't have to be out in the cold," Mussleman said. "They're choosing to be here to help."

Saturday's demolition was just the start, Musselman said.

Property owner Harold Musselman, of Littlestown, helps clean up debris of a Littlestown house that was being demolished due to irreparable fire damage on Saturday. (THE EVENING SUN -- SHANE DUNLAP)

The family - Matt and Kat Linebaugh and daughters Musselman, Bianca, 6, and Myka, 1 - hope to have a new house in the next three to five months. The new house will be two stories with a full basement, three upstairs bedrooms and a downstairs master bedroom.